Device for use in connection with spinning and twisting machines for guiding the thread from the drafting mechanism to the spindle

ABSTRACT

A thread guide for guiding the thread in a spinning and twisting machine during the vertical travel of the thread from the drafting mechanism to the spindle, the guide comprising superimposed pairs of guide bars that receive the thread between the bars of each pair with one pair of bars generally parallel to the length of the machine and the other pair of bars generally perpendicular to the length of the machine.

United States Patent Preisser [54] DEVICE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH SPINNING AND TWISTING MACHINES FOR GUIDING THE THREAD FROM THE DRAFTING MECHANISM TO THE SPINDLE Inventor: Giinther Preisser, Strassburger Allee 39, 407 Rheydt-Odenkirchen, Germany Filed: Dec. 14, 1970 Appl. No.: 97,716

Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 15, 1969 Germany ..P 19 51891.3 Sept. 26, 1970 Germany ..P 20 47 541.6

US. Cl. ..57/106, 242/157 C Int. Cl ..D0lh 13/04, B65h 57/08 Field of Search ..37/80, 81, 106l08;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1914 OConnell ..242/157 C Mar. 6, 1973 Primary Examiner.lohn Petrakes Attorney-Walter Becker [57] ABSTRACT A thread guide for guiding the thread in a spinning and twisting machine during the vertical travel of the thread from the drafting mechanism to the spindle, the guide comprising superimposed pairs 'of guide bars that receive the thread between the bars of each pair with one pair of bars generally parallel to the length of the machine and the other pair of bars generally perpendicular to the length of the machine.

14 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTED 61973 sum 1 OF 2 @Jv Y 7re 15 a PMENTED W5 3'. 719,036

- sum 2 or 2 96.8 Flam DEVICE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH SPINNING AND TWISTING MACHINES FOR GUIDING THE THREAD FROM THE DRAFIING MECHANISM TO THE SPINDLE The present invention relates to a device for use in connection with spinning and twisting machines for guiding the thread from the drafting mechanism to a spindle equipped with a pigtail mounted directly above the spindle and a connecting shank.

With spinning machines, thread breaks frequently caused by the whirring and fluttering of the thread passing from the delivery cylinders of the drafting mechanism to the spindle. While moving along this path, the thread passes through the pigtail located directly above the spindle, the pigtail being intended to determine the zenith point of the thread balloon forming around the spindle. Inasmuch as the passage defined by the pigtail is of a certain diameter and thereby a certain cross-section, the tip of the balloon flutters and whirs within this cross-section so that the thread coming from the delivery cylinders of the drafting mechanism will over its length define an acute-angled triangle which whirs and flutters and which has its base leg in the pigtail. This movement causes a whirring of the thread when, as is frequently the case with modern machines, the delivery cylinders are located approximately vertically above the pigtail so that the thread moves downwardly almost a vertical line. In such an instance, the thread moves in whirring manner within the pigtail, and the balloon tip is not fixedly located in the center of the pigtail but flutters somewhat above the same.

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These drawbacks have been put up with in most of the modern machines or have not even been sufficiently taken into consideration in order to obtain a compact machine construction in view of the almost or entirely vertical thread path between the delivery cylinders of the drafting mechanism and the pigtail. Such compact machine construction requires less width than previous machines. The number of the relatively frequent thread breaks caused thereby might be considerably decreased if along the so-called spinning path, in other words, on the way of the thread from the delivery cylinders to the pigtail, no fluttering movements deviating from the straight line would occur, and thus a pulling and tugging in the thread bundles, especially in the outer sections thereof, would not take place prior to the thread being subjected to the twisting operation. Since, however, the thread will obtain its desired tear resistance as a result of the total of the twisted fibers, a lateral tugging on the fibers leaving the cylinder pair, which tugging is brought about by the whirring of the thread in the pigtail, has the effect that some of the fibers will not take part in the twisting and will not immediately move into the fiber connection. This will result in a reduction of the tear resistance of the thread and will lead to a roughter thread and to the tendency of the thread to break.

With a heretofore known twisting machine it has been attempted to avoid the above mentioned difficulties by employing two unilaterally open thread guiding elements which are arranged at a fixed distance one above the other and the openings of which are angle offset with regard to each other while the guiding member is offset laterally parallel to the spindle axis with regard to the lower thread guiding element. More specifically, the thread section moving between the guiding edges of the thread guiding members forms with the spindle axis an angle of about 45. This sharp angling off of the thread at two guiding edges will bring about a quieting down of the thread and will prevent the thread from whirring. However, the sharp angling off of the thread and its friction along the guiding edges causes a roughening of the thread and partially also causes a break of fibers in the fiber bundle. The above mentioned solution therefore, does not meet the requirements of modern machinery.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a device for use in connection with spinning machines for guiding the thread on its path from the drafting mechanism to the spindle provided with a pigtail directly above the spindle and with a connecting shank, which will keep the thread on the said path practically quiet and will prevent a tugging on the thread while saving or protecting the interconnection of the fibers.

- This object and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a first embodiment of the device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the device according to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a top view of a modified device according to the invention illustrating a simplified shape of the device.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the device according to FIG. 4.

FIG. .6 is a side view of the device of FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. -7 is a front view of a further modification of the device according to the invention as seen from the servicing side of the machine.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the device of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the device of FIGS. 7 and 8 while indicating the path of the thread.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a further modified device according to the invention which comprises a shank with pigtails of wire and also comprises a yoke connected to the wire, said yoke being made of synthetic material and being equipped with guiding rods or bars.

The device according to the present invention is characterized primarily by a plurality of thread guiding rods which are superimposed upon each other and extend in the direction of the passage of the thread, and of which two thread guiding rods extend substantially parallel to each other while the other thread guiding rods extend substantially perpendicularly with regard to the longitudinal direction of the machine, said thread guiding rods confining a substantially vertical thread path. Such an arrangement brings about that the path of the thread from the delivery cylinder of the drafting mechanism up to the area directly in front of the pigtail is fixed and the oscillations of the thread of the balloon will have no influence whatsoever upon this section. In view of the thread path which is substantially vertical and is determined by the superimposed thread guiding rods or bars, the whirring movements of it is suggested, according to a further development of the invention, that the guiding rods confine a thread passage on all sides in the parallel projection upon a horizontal plane, which thread passage will be only slightly wider than the thickness of the thread passing therethrough so that the passed through thread will simultaneously and practically engage the guiding bars.

Preferably, the two guiding bars extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the machine are formed by the longitudinal sides of the pigtail which is substantially oval and which is so arranged that the longitudinal side which faces the machine is located at a higher level than the outer longitudinal side which extends primarily along a horizontal plane, the rise from the lower to the upper plane being effected in a curved portion of the pigtail.

. According to a further development of the invention, the device according to the invention comprises two superimposed guiding rods which are located above the pigtail and extend substantially perpendicular with regard to the longitudinal direction of the machine. These two guiding rods are located one above the other I and are offset laterally with regard to each other.

The provision of the guiding rods extending perpendicularly with regard to the longitudinal direction of the machine prevents the occurrence of lateral oscillations, in other words, oscillations of the machine in the longitudinal direction thereof, whereas the fluttering in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the machine is made impossible by the two longitudinal sides of the oval pigtail the main axis of which extends in the longitudinal direction of the machine.

A simplified modification of the present invention is V characterized in that above the pigtail there is provided a guiding bar which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the machine, and is furthermore characterized in that the pigtail is relative to the connecting shank arranged in the longitudinal direction of the machine in such a way that the inner edge of the zenith point of the curved portion of the pigtail which brings about the rise from the lower to the upper plane, will together with the guiding bar in parallel projection upon a horizontal plane confine the passage for the thread. With such an arrangement, oscillations of the thread in the longitudinal direction of the machine are by the guiding bar and the one curved section of the oval pigtail completely eliminated whereas oscillations in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the machine will, similar to the above mentioned first embodiment of the invention, be substantially prevented by the two longitudinal sides of the oval contour.

A further modification of the device according to the invention is characterized in that the device is equipped with at least two superimposed guiding bars which extend above the pigtail in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the machine. These last mentioned guiding bars are so aligned with regard to the central region of the pigtail that the thread will simultaneously or nearly simultaneously engage both guiding bars.

In order to facilitate the engagement of the guiding bars by the thread alternately on one and the other side of the bars, it may be provided according to the invention that the free end sections of the guiding bars are respectively bent in opposite direction toward the outside.

For the same purpose, it is suggested, according to a further development of the invention, that the free end sections 1 of the guiding bars are additionally bent downwardly and upwardly in such a way that the ends are located at approximately the same level. The device may be bent from one single piece of wire, but it is also possible to compose the device of two or more parts. Thus, the device may consist of a pigtail of metallic wire with a connecting shank to which is connected a yoke of synthetic material with guiding bars formed thereon, said yoke protruding approximately perpendicularly from said pigtail. With the last mentioned embodiment, it should be borne in mind that with different types of machines, connecting shanks and pigtails of wire of different thickness are provided. Nevertheless in view of the last mentioned design, there exists the possibility to employ the yoke of synthetic material with formed-on guiding bars of the same design in spite of the different wire thickness of the connecting shank and the pigtail.

In order to make an undesired slipping off of the thread from the bars in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the machine practically impossible, it is suggested according to the invention that at least one of the guiding bars has the thread engaging side provided with a barbed hook which while not preventing the insertion of the thread will make a slipping out of the thread in opposite'direction impossible.

The arrangement of the guiding rods perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the machine makes impossible the occurrence of lateral oscillations, in other words, oscillations in the longitudinal direction of the machine on the path from the delivery cylinders of the drafting mechanism to the lower guiding rod, but does not exclude a certain fluttering within the pigtail in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the machine. In order completely to eliminate this last mentioned fluttering, the pigtail may, according to a further development of the invention, have an oval contour the main axis of which extends in the longitudinal direction of the machine while the end of the wire forming the pigtail extends in spaced relationship along the oval beyond the same and is outside the oval bent downwardly and backwardly and finally ends in an inclined upwardly directed end section which catches in an oval manner behind the pigtail. In this way it will be assured that the thread when inserted into the pigtail will pass between the section of the pigtail on the servicing side thereof and that pigtail end which is located above the oval so that the possibility of a movement of the thread in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the machine is limited to such an extent that a fluttering in this direction can no longer occur. By bending the end of the pigtail outside the oval in downward and backward direction and by the further angling off directed at an incline behind the oval of the pigtail, an almost automatic threading operation is assured according to which the thread will occupy the above mentioned position in the pigtail while the thread also to a greater extent by itself passes between the superimposed guiding bars which extend into the lateral guiding sections.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, according to the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6, the ovalshaped pigtail 1 is primarily directly connected to the front end of the connecting shank 7 by means of which the device according to the invention is connected to the machine frame. The main axis of the oval pigtail 1 extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of the machine while the longitudinal side 21 which faces the machine is located at a higher level or at a higher plane than the outer longitudinal side 22 which is substantially horizontal. The rise from the lower to the upper plane occurs in the oval curvature 23 in such a way that the thread A passing through will, as is best shown in FIG. 3, on its vertical thread path at the same time engage both longitudinal sides 21, 22 or will at least approximately at the same time engage the same. The longitudinal side 22 of the oval pigtail 1 which side is located outwardly and in a lower plane is primarily located in the same horizontal plane as the connecting shank 7 to which this longitudinal side 22 according to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6 is connected through the intervention of a leg 20 which is angled off with regard to the connecting shank 7 by approximately a right angle, and by a substantially semicircular curvature 24.

The upper longitudinal side 21 which is likewise located in a substantially horizontal plane and pertains to the oval pigtail 1 is followed by a return arm 25 which ends in a guiding bar 26 away from the pigtail oval. That mantle line of bar 26 which faces away from the arm 25 is located primarily in a vertical plane with the axis of the connecting shank 7.

According to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the oval pigtail l is so arranged that the center of the main axis of the oval is likewise located in the same vertical plane as the connecting shank 7. According to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the guiding bar 26 is through the intervention of an upwardly directed curved member 7 followed by a further guiding bar 28 which latter is laterally offset and is arranged above the first guiding bar 26 in such a way that both guiding bars 26, 28 define a slot. This slot intersects the oval pigtail 1 in the center and is located in the vertical plane which passes through the axis of the connecting shank. The front end of the guiding bar 28 is followed by a leg 29 which is angled off in outward and downward direction. The leg 29 ends substantially at the same level as the front tip of the arm 25 although this has not been shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in order not to overload these figures and thereby impair the clarity thereof.

With the two longitudinal sides 21, 22 of the oval pigtail 1 in parallel projection upon a horizontal plane, the two guiding bars 26, 28 define a substantially square thread passage as is best evident from FIG. 1. In view of the guiding edges for the thread which guiding edges are located one above the other, there is formed a substantially vertical thread path for the thread A as is diagrammatically indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3. When the thread passes through the thread passage, it will at the same time substantially engage all thread guiding edges or at least will approximately engage the same so that nowhere or at no guiding edge there can be exerted undue stresses upon the thread.

According to the embodiment of FIGS. 4-6, the oval pigtail l is relative to the connecting shank 7 offset in such a way that the inner edge of the zenith point of the oval curvature 23 which brings about the rise from the lower longitudinal side 22 to the upper longitudinal side 21 is located primarily in the vertical plane determined by the connecting shank 7. Thus, this inner edge together with the guiding bar 26 will in the parallel projection upon a horizontal plane define a substantially slotlike thread passage. One side of this passage is curved and located in a vertical plane with the connecting shank 7.

According to the embodiment of FIGS. 4-6, the second guiding bar 28 which is provided with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, becomes superfluous inasmuch as its functions are taken over by the inner side of the oval curvature.

According to the embodiment of FIGS. 7-10, directly behind the pigtail 1 there extends in upward direction a yoke 2 which is provided with two guiding bars 3 and 4 which are arranged one above the other and extend substantially perpendicularly with regard to the longitudinal direction of the machine. The end sec tions 5 and 6 of the bars 3 and 4 are in opposite direction bent outwardly. Additionally, these end sections 5 and 6 are bent off relative to each other so that the ends are located substantially or approximately in the same horizontal plane.

The embodiment according to FIGS. 7 and 9 comprises a single bent wire of which individual sections, namely the sections which form the arm 2 and guiding bars 3 and 4 are located directly adjacent to each other. One wire end forms the connecting shank 7 whereas the second wire is formed at the lower yoke end so as to form the pigtail 1. That end which forms the pigtail 1 is adjacent to the arm 2 first formed into an oval 8. The rear section 9 extends beyond an outer oval arc and is then angled off in opposite direction so that the adjacent section 10 in spaced relationship above the oval 8 is with regard to the front section 15 set back somewhat and extends beyond the oval 8. This is followed by the inclined downwardly and rearwardly extending section 11 which ends in the end section 12, said end section 12 extending upwardly behind the oval 8 of the pigtail 1. This shape is selected in order to permit an easy threading of the thread. The thread is pulled behind the end section 12, then slides below the section 9 and will lie in front of the section 10 and behind the section 15 of the pigtail, in other words, within a narrow slot 13. Within this narrow slot, thread movements perpendicularly with regard to the longitudinal direction of the machine are for all practical purposes impossible. Fluttering of the thread in the longitudinal direction of the slot 13 are prevented by the guiding bars 3 and 4 which are located vertically one above the other so that a passing of the thread will result in a twofold slight angling off because the thread will engage in the guiding bars 3 and 4 on opposite sides. As a result thereof, the oscillations of the thread caused by the balloon of the thread cannot continue to the delivery cylinders of the drafting mechanism so that the thread will extend completely rectilinearly from the guiding bar 3 to the delivery cylinders of the nonillustrated drafting mechanism.

The embodiment of FIG. differs from that of FIGS. 7 to 9 in that the shank 7 and the pigtail 1 are bent of one wire and form a single structural unit. Formed onto the unit, for instance injection molded thereto, is the arm or yoke 2 of synthetic material with the guiding bars 3 and 4. The lower end 14 of yoke 2 comprises the shank 7 directly behind the pigtail 1. In order to prevent an undesired sliding off of the thread from the guiding bars 3 and 4, a barbed hook 16 may be formed onto the guiding bar 4 as shown in FIG. 10. It is also possible additionally to form such barbed hook onto the guiding bar 3.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A guide arrangement for use in a spinning and twisting machine for guiding thread during travel thereof in the vertical direction from the drafting mechanism to the spindle, said guide arrangement being disposed above the spindle and having a support shank, an essentially oval-formed loop pigtail portion on said support shank having a plurality of thread guiding bars distributed in the direction of travel of the thread and including at least two pairs of bars, the bars of each pair being parallel to each other and the bars of one pair being substantially perpendicular to the bars of the other pairs, said thread passing between the bars of each pair and being guided thereby.

2. A guide arrangement according to claim 1 in which said one pair of bars are substantially parallel to the length of the machine and said bars when viewed in the direction of thread travel confining a thread in a passage only slightly larger than the thread passing therebetween.

3. A guide arrangement according to claim 2 in which said bars are substantially horizontal and the one of the bars of said one pair of bars which faces the machine is at a higher level than the other bar of said one pair of bars, and a curved section interconnecting the guiding bars of said one pair at one end thereof.

4. A guide arrangement according to claim 3 in which the guiding bars of said other pairs are disposed above said one pair and are offset from each other vertically and horizontally.

5. A guide arrangement according to claim 4 in which the guiding bars of said other pair are interconnected at one end thereof while at the other end thereof the bars of said other pair diverge from each other.

6. A guide arrangement according to claim 5 in which the outer ends of the diverging portion of the guiding bars of said other pair are at about the same which said other airs of bars 'ncludes a first bar ab ve said one pair of bars, the said thread passage being disposed at the intersection of said first bar with the lateral projection of the inside of the top of said curved section.

9. A guide arrangement according to claim 1 in which said pairs of bars includes a pair of superimposed bars extending substantially perpendicularly with regard to the longitudinal direction of said machine and arranged so as substantially continuously to engage the said thread.

10. A guide arrangement according to claim 9 in which the said superimposed bars diverge at the outer ends thereof.

11. A guide arrangement according to claim 10 in which the outer ends of the diverging portions of said superimposed bars are at about the same level.

12. A guide arrangement according to claim 9 in which said guide arrangement is formed with the said support shank and one pair of said bars comprising a length of wire while said pair of superimposed pair of bars comprise synthetic material and are provided with a support portion connected to said support shank and extending therefrom at a right angle.

13. A guide arrangement according to claim 1 in which one of said pairs of bars extends substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of said machine and one of the bars of said one pair has a barbed hook on the thread engaging side thereof.

14. A guide arrangement according to claim 1 in which said guide arrangement includes a portion at the end of said support shank which is wire bent into the form of an oval in a horizontal plane with the major axis of the loop extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine and with the free end of the wire bent downwardly and backwardly and engaged under one end of the said oval. 

1. A guide arrangement for use in a spinning and twisting machine for guiding thread during travel thereof in the vertical direction from the drafting mechanism to the spindle, said guide arrangement being disposed above the spindle and having a support shank, an essentially oval-formed loop pigtail portion on said support shank having a plurality of thread guiding bars distributed in the direction of travel of the thread and including at least two pairs of bars, the bars of each pair being parallel to each other and the bars of one pair being substantially perpendicular to the bars of the other pairs, said thread passing between the bars of each pair and being guided thereby.
 1. A guide arrangement for use in a spinning and twisting machine for guiding thread during travel thereof in the vertical direction from the drafting mechanism to the spindle, said guide arrangement being disposed above the spindle and having a support shank, an essentially oval-formed loop pigtail portion on said support shank having a plurality of thread guiding bars distributed in the direction of travel of the thread and including at least two pairs of bars, the bars of each pair being parallel to each other and the bars of one pair being substantially perpendicular to the bars of the other pairs, said thread passing between the bars of each pair and being guided thereby.
 2. A guide arrangement according to claim 1 in which said one pair of bars are substantially parallel to the length of the machine and said bars when viewed in the direction of thread travel confining a thread in a passage only slightly larger than the thread passing therebetween.
 3. A guide arrangement according to claim 2 in which said bars are substantially horizontal and the one of the bars of said one pair of bars which faces the machine is at a higher level than the other bar of said one pair of bars, and a curved section interconnecting the guiding bars of said one pair at one end thereof.
 4. A guide arrangement according to claim 3 in which the guiding bars of said other pairs are disposed above said one pair and are offset fRom each other vertically and horizontally.
 5. A guide arrangement according to claim 4 in which the guiding bars of said other pair are interconnected at one end thereof while at the other end thereof the bars of said other pair diverge from each other.
 6. A guide arrangement according to claim 5 in which the outer ends of the diverging portion of the guiding bars of said other pair are at about the same level.
 7. A guide arrangement according to claim 6 in which said guide arrangement is in the form of a single length of wire bent to form integrally said support shank and said pairs of bars.
 8. A guide arrangement according to claim 3 in which said other pairs of bars includes a first bar above said one pair of bars, the said thread passage being disposed at the intersection of said first bar with the lateral projection of the inside of the top of said curved section.
 9. A guide arrangement according to claim 1 in which said pairs of bars includes a pair of superimposed bars extending substantially perpendicularly with regard to the longitudinal direction of said machine and arranged so as substantially continuously to engage the said thread.
 10. A guide arrangement according to claim 9 in which the said superimposed bars diverge at the outer ends thereof.
 11. A guide arrangement according to claim 10 in which the outer ends of the diverging portions of said superimposed bars are at about the same level.
 12. A guide arrangement according to claim 9 in which said guide arrangement is formed with the said support shank and one pair of said bars comprising a length of wire while said pair of superimposed pair of bars comprise synthetic material and are provided with a support portion connected to said support shank and extending therefrom at a right angle.
 13. A guide arrangement according to claim 1 in which one of said pairs of bars extends substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of said machine and one of the bars of said one pair has a barbed hook on the thread engaging side thereof. 